to communicate well

Some years back my wife and I got into the habit of asking each other ‘do you want comfort or solutions’ when the other was having a bad time. That one sentence can save us from an argument 9/10 times.

so much of being good at interpersonal skills is literally just “keep vibing, don’t disengage, even when it gets difficult/awkward/etc”

I just got some (personally) mindblowing advice, re: a message that felt overdue: You don't have to explain yourself. Say, '"Thanks for your patience; it took longer than I expected to get back to you." and then move on with it! 🤯